U.S. President Donald Trump gestures after delivering an address to the nation about the Iran war at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. April 1, 2026. Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS
President Donald Trump befuddled the nation on Wednesday with a strange rant about the war in Iran, in which many observers remarked very little was said that was new.
Trump gave his first national address since the war started about five weeks ago. He spoke about the progress made in the war and said the U.S. has "nearly completed" all of its objectives. He also made several astonishing claims, such as calling on NATO allies to purchase oil from the U.S. or "take it" from the Strait of Hormuz and describing Iran as one of the world's great powers.
Political analysts and observers were left puzzled and confused by the address. They shared their reactions on social media.
"This speech is insane. Our President is a lunatic," Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, posted on X. "Also, he sounds like a moron. A real low-IQ individual. Don’t be numb to how crazy this is."
"So Trump's plan to end the war and reopen the strait is to ... not do either of those things," journalist Matthew Yglesias posted on X.
"The rest of the world needs to grab the Strait of Hormuz by the p----," Tim Miller, host of "The Bulwark Podcast," mocked on X.
"Clearly, there is no plan for the Strait," Patrick De Haan, petroleum market analyst for GasBuddy, posted on X.
"What the f--- was that?" Andrew Feinberg, White House correspondent for The Independent, posted on X.